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Adrian the Canadian

Almost one year ago, Adrian the Canadian cycled through Townsville on her way down south and stopped in for a visit. Well, we heard from Adrian recently and thought her Australian journey looked and sounded so good you might enjoy it too!

‘…The rest of the trip went really well. I ended up stopping in Adelaide and got home to Canada at the end of July. I ended up hitching a few times between Sydney and Melbourne due to some mechanical problems (my god the hills of the princess highway! does a number on the gears after a bit). But overall the bike and trailer held up really well, no broken spokes, no broken chains, just had to replace the bottom bracket a few times and new rear cassette twice. I ended up going into the great dividing range a few times which was stunning! The platypus picture from Eungalla Park is still my favourite animal shot of the whole trip. I spent 3 days camping in the park waiting for one of the platypus to go under a bridge for an aerial shot.

Platypus – Eungalla Park

For my birthday in May I stayed around Noosa Heads, and saw the most unreal sunrise. My first ocean sunrise!

Around the central coast I did a few closed-off old mining roads which were an adventure in themselves, scaring off dingos and experiencing complete silence in the middle of the forest, eerie but beautiful.

I stayed a week in Sydney during the Vivid festival and going whale watching for the first time. I got to see a family of very curious humpbacks!

The Great Ocean road and the Great Otways was mind blowing. Every day in your country was more beautiful, there’s no other way to describe it. Very few cars on the roads, rainy, but kind people all along the way and lots of wildlife. In the Otways I had my first snow of the trip, woke up to frost on my sleeping bag each morning. But countless parrots every day, tiny mammals I couldn’t even try to identify but would fit into any fantasy book, a very inquisitive koala,a rare black carnivorous snail, and hills so steep I had to walk DOWN them!

Great Ocean Road

The 12 Apostles were everything and more than I imagined. The weather out on the road was terrible, heavy wind, hail, cold. All the tourists drove past the turns for the look outs along the cliffs because of the terrible conditions but I turned in thinking it would be a while before I ever saw this again. At the cliffs, down on the beaches the clouds parted with no rain. Perfect photo conditions all to myself.

From Melbourne I went back down the Mornington Peninsula which had the most surreal sunsets of the trip every night. From here to Adelaide I met the most fellow tourers, all going in the opposite direction unfortunately.

Once past the Great Ocean road and into the Coorong I met a couple, she was british, he was south australian, that had ridden from England, across europe and the ‘stans, through SE asian, to Darwin, and south through to Adelaide, finishing in Melbourne. Absolutely pouring, freezing conditions but we all stopped and had a good chat. They had a lot of hills ahead of them that day and I had my first flat roads in a week ahead of me so we were all excited for the coming days.

In the Coorong I found out that there are DEER in australia! But I found out when 3 walked out 10 metres ahead of me! haha. It felt like home for a few moments. I found a very wet owl enjoying the sun after the night of rain that let me get a few really good shots earlier that day. I cannot say enough for the diversity of australian wildife.

I stayed a few extra days in Victor Harbour, was lucky enough to see a wild little penguin and the went out to Seal Rock to see the new pups.

That last week of riding was a difficult one emotionally. Australia holds a special place in my heart and this tour will not be my last.

I got to do a ride in Adelaide I’ve wanted to do for years. The morning before my flight home I rode up Mount Lofty, a solid 800m climb. An hour up, and 10 minutes down!

In Adelaide I took a well deserved rest for 6 days before flying home, staying in Taiwan for 2 days to squeeze a few more days of freedom out of the trip!

In October I was unfortunately hit by a distracted driver on my commute to work, broken arm and some stitches and that was the last day for my little tour bike’s life. Always always always wear a helmet! I am healing well though and my physiotherapist is confident I will be able to start training again in another month, just in time for the summer cycling season!

I spent mid-january to mid-february in Tromso, Norway following the orcas and northern lights and I’ve put it on the plan for a bike tour soon, beautiful part of the world even when covered in a metre of snow!

But my very next tour will still be this summer, mid June to mid August, cycling around Iceland! I fly out June 15th!

I attached some of my favourite shots of the aussie trip!

I hope you’re well and I’m looking forward to visiting again soon!

Thank you for your story Adrian. We are glad you’re recovering and making more cycle touring plans. Make sure you let us know when you’re heading down south again!

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One response to “Adrian the Canadian”

Good luck with your healing. It’s a terrible thing to have happened to you, I hope everything turns out to be okay. Your trip sounded fantastic, I too want to do the great ocean road. It’s definitely on my bucket list. Six months prior to my last cycle tour I was also hit by car. Sadly that was also the end of my surly’s life, Sir Samuel. I also have a very good physio and he and I worked on my shoulder for 6 months. It came good and didn’t stop me. The person who hit me bought me a new bicycle, Sir Samuel the second was born. Keep dreaming ,planning and riding it’s the only way to see the world.